.222 Remington Magnum
Encyclopedia
The .222 Remington Magnum was a short-lived commercially produced cartridge
derived
from the .222 Remington
. Originally developed for a US prototype military rifle in 1958, the cartridge was not adopted by the military, but was introduced commercially in sporting rifles.
and benchrest shooting
during the 1950s and early 1960s. The increased case capacity, about 20% greater than that of the .222 Remington, produced muzzle velocities that fell between those of the .222 Remington and the much larger and faster .22-250 and .220 Swift
. Ballistically
the .222 Mag is very similar to the German-developed 5.6 x 50 Magnum sporting cartridge.
and cartridge, the M16
rifle and the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO
cartridge. The .223 Remington
, the commercial variant of the new 5.56 x 45 mm, was introduced a month before the official adoption of the military cartridge. The .223 Remington had a case capacity that is about 5% smaller than that of the .222 Rem. Mag., but it was loaded to a slightly higher pressure, so the ballistic differences are almost nonexistent. As any widely used military cartridge is guaranteed to be a success on the commercial market, the .223 Rem. sold exceptionally well and the .222 Rem. Mag. faded rather quickly. Remington continued to offer the .222 Rem. Mag. in a couple of target and varmint rifle models for many years, but currently (2007) there are no commercial manufacturers either of rifles or ammunition in .222 Rem. Mag. other than Cooper Firearms of Montana
.
The .222 Rem. Mag. has not entirely gone, however. It lives on in the hands of handloaders
and the original cartridge became the parent round for a new development introduced in 2004, the .204 Ruger
. The .204 Ruger is based on the .222 Rem. Mag. case necked down to hold a .20 caliber (5 mm) bullet.
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
derived
Wildcat cartridge
A wildcat cartridge, or wildcat, is a custom cartridge for which ammunition and firearms are not mass produced. These cartridges are often created in order to optimize a certain performance characteristic of an existing commercial cartridge.Developing and using wildcat cartridges does not...
from the .222 Remington
.222 Remington
The .222 Remington aka the Triple Deuce/Triple Two/Treble Two is a centerfire rifle cartridge introduced in 1950, and was the first commercial rimless .22 cartridge made in the United States...
. Originally developed for a US prototype military rifle in 1958, the cartridge was not adopted by the military, but was introduced commercially in sporting rifles.
Development
The .222 Rem. Mag. was created by lengthening the case and shortening the neck of the highly accurate and very popular .222 Remington cartridge, which dominated varmintVarmint rifle
Varmint rifle is an American English term for a small-caliber firearm or high-powered air gun primarily used for varmint hunting — killing non-native or non-game animals such as rats, house sparrows, starling, crows, ground squirrels, gophers, jackrabbits, marmots, groundhogs, porcupine,...
and benchrest shooting
Benchrest shooting
Benchrest shooting is a sport in which very accurate and precise rifles are shot at paper targets from a rest or bench from a sitting position. Benchrest shooters are notoriously detail-oriented and constantly trying to further the accuracy potential of the rifle through experimentation. Nearly...
during the 1950s and early 1960s. The increased case capacity, about 20% greater than that of the .222 Remington, produced muzzle velocities that fell between those of the .222 Remington and the much larger and faster .22-250 and .220 Swift
.220 Swift
The .220 Swift is a semi-rimmed rifle cartridge developed by Winchester and introduced in 1935. It was the first factory loaded rifle cartridge with a muzzle velocity of over...
. Ballistically
Ballistics
Ballistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.A ballistic body is a body which is...
the .222 Mag is very similar to the German-developed 5.6 x 50 Magnum sporting cartridge.
Obsolescence
It was not until 1963 that the Army adopted a .22 caliber (5.56 mm) assault rifleAssault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
and cartridge, the M16
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
rifle and the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO
5.56 x 45 mm NATO
5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge...
cartridge. The .223 Remington
.223 Remington
The .223 Remington is a sporting cartridge with almost the same external dimensions as the 5.56×45mm NATO military cartridge. The name is commonly pronounced either two-two-three or two-twenty-three. It is loaded with a diameter, jacketed bullet, with weights ranging from , though the most common...
, the commercial variant of the new 5.56 x 45 mm, was introduced a month before the official adoption of the military cartridge. The .223 Remington had a case capacity that is about 5% smaller than that of the .222 Rem. Mag., but it was loaded to a slightly higher pressure, so the ballistic differences are almost nonexistent. As any widely used military cartridge is guaranteed to be a success on the commercial market, the .223 Rem. sold exceptionally well and the .222 Rem. Mag. faded rather quickly. Remington continued to offer the .222 Rem. Mag. in a couple of target and varmint rifle models for many years, but currently (2007) there are no commercial manufacturers either of rifles or ammunition in .222 Rem. Mag. other than Cooper Firearms of Montana
Cooper Firearms of Montana
Cooper Firearms of Montana was founded in 1990 by Dan Cooper and two other former Kimber of Oregon employees.-History:Cooper was created to build affordable custom-quality accurate rifles. As they put it "Rifles should shoot as well as they look and vice versa". All Cooper rifles carry an accuracy...
.
The .222 Rem. Mag. has not entirely gone, however. It lives on in the hands of handloaders
Handloading
Handloading or reloading is the process of loading firearm cartridges or shotgun shells by assembling the individual components , rather than purchasing completely assembled, factory-loaded cartridges...
and the original cartridge became the parent round for a new development introduced in 2004, the .204 Ruger
.204 Ruger
The .204 Ruger is a centerfire rifle cartridge developed by Hornady and Ruger. At the time of its introduction in 2004, the .204 Ruger was the highest velocity commercially produced ammunition, and the only cartridge produced commercially for bullets of .204 inch/5 mm caliber.-Characteristics:The...
. The .204 Ruger is based on the .222 Rem. Mag. case necked down to hold a .20 caliber (5 mm) bullet.
External links
- .222 Remington and .222 Rem Mag at Chuck Hawks